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Shoulder to shoulder the families of murder and manslaughter victims stood united in grief and remembrance.

Each having lost loved ones to some of the region’s most violent crimes, the mums, dads, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters turned out for the National Victims’ Association’s 12th annual memorial service in Newcastle.

Amid the tears at the city’s St Mary’s Cathedral the families time and again said the same - that together, however bad they feel, they know that they are not alone.

Bethany Hall, whose dad John was murdered in Shiney Row, Houghton-le-Spring in September 2013, said finding the support of the charity had for the first time meant that her and sister Shelby had the support they needed.

“Support from friends is ok but we’ve been though something that they cannot understand - only people who have been through the same can,” she said.

“The support we’ve received from David and others has helped us - and for the first time my sister and I don’t feel alone.

“Now this organisation is part of our life it will be with us forever and we’ll be part of it as we grow old.”

Claire Devlin, whose brother Lee was killed in a one-punch attack by a 16-year-old in Whitley Bay in September last year, was glad to be able to be part of the service.

“When it happened I felt alone and as if nobody understood,” she said. “But this was a nice opportunity to get together with people who do.”

“It was emotional,” said the charity’s founder David Hines,

“Particularly for me this year because a friend from France, Olivier Ferez, whose son Gabriel was one of two students slaughtered in London a few years ago couldn’t be here and so when we went to put up photos of loved ones I was carrying his too.

David Hines, who set up the South Tyneside-based group after his daughter Marie was murdered by a former partner in 1992, said that year on year the need for the charity is growing, with more and more families losing loved ones to violent crime.

And he claimed that government after government are letting victims down - with “promises and rhetoric” ahead of the Election unlikely to lead to real change for families.

“This support is essential as the message never seems to get across that victims and their families are meant to be at the heart of the justice system, but it never is,” he said.

“We’ll hear a lot of promises and rhetoric ahead of the General Election but nothing changes.”